Zepto raises $340 Mn at $5 Bn valuation

Quick commerce company Zepto has raised $340 million in a follow-on financing round led by General Catalyst, with Dragon Fund and Epiq Capital joining as new investors. Existing investors, including StepStone, Lightspeed, DST, and Contrary, also increased their stakes.

With this new funding, Zepto’s valuation has surged by nearly 40%, rising to $5 billion from $3.6 billion in June, when it raised $665 million in its Series F round. The firm has raised over $1 billion in 2024, $1.2 billion in the past 12 months, and more than $1.5 billion since its inception.

Zepto plans to double its dark stores to 700 by March 2025 and expand into new markets such as Nasik, Chandigarh, Vizag, and Ahmedabad. The company will also increase its presence in existing metro cities.

“The rationale behind this follow-on financing was twofold,” said Aadit Palicha, co-founder and CEO of Zepto. “First, the opportunity to bring on a lead investor of Neeraj Arora’s caliber from General Catalyst was one we couldn't pass up. Second, strengthening our balance sheet is a strategic move, especially as the company continues to deliver robust growth and operating leverage.”

Zepto serves millions of customers by delivering over 10,000 products across various categories within 10 minutes through a network of delivery hubs nationwide. 

The Mumbai-based firm claims it has nearly achieved EBITDA positivity with 140% year-on-year growth and an annualized gross merchandise value of over $1 billion (Rs 8,300 crore). As of May 2024, it also reports that about 75% of its stores are fully EBITDA positive.

In FY23, Zepto registered a 14-fold increase in revenue to Rs 2,024 crore, though its losses widened to Rs 1,272 crore.

The quick commerce sector is becoming increasingly competitive with Flipkart's recent entry and BigBasket's full shift to rapid delivery. Additionally, e-commerce leader Amazon is expected to join the market early next year. Currently, Zomato-owned Blinkit has emerged as top player in the quick commerce followed by Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Tata Digital-owned BigBasket.